The second new oil-fired steam locomotive that is being manufactured at the Golden Rock Railway Workshop here for use in the Nilgiri Mountain Railway (NMR) section would be ready before August 15, the Chief Mechanical Engineer, Southern Railway, S.K. Sood said on Thursday.
The second steam locomotive would be provided with new boiler, Mr. Sood told reporters after distributing cash awards and certificates to railway staff of various divisions, railway workshops and diesel sheds falling under the Southern Railway zone.
He said the Golden Rock Railway Workshop had been entrusted with the task of manufacturing four new oil-fired metre gauge steam locomotives, of which the first engine dispatched already had been working well in the hilly NMR section. Mr. Sood attributed the engine failures in the NMR section to the boilers.
The over 80-year-old Golden Rock Railway Workshop involved in a mosaic of activities including export of diesel locomotives had been doing well, he said adding that the workshop had earned Rs. 40 crore as Sundry earnings.
He expressed hope that the Carriage Works at Perambur in Chennai would be given an order for the manufacture of 400 new metre gauge passenger coaches to Bangladesh. Earlier, Mr. Sood handed over cash awards and certificates to 300 railway staff of six divisions, three railway workshops and three diesel sheds from the headquarter unit for their meritorious service.
Mr. Sood also gave away certificates to 112 staff of Golden Rock Railway Workshop who were involved in the manufacture of the first oil-fired steam locomotive. The Chief Workshop Manager, Golden Rock Railway Workshop P. Mahesh and senior workshop officials and staff were present on the occasion.
